Major boost for Nigeria’s health sector as Estate Surveyor promotes health delivery

 

The ancient town of Ada, in Boripe Local Government Area of Osun State and people of the neighbouring communities, in particular, and Nigeria, in general, have been blessed with an ultra-modern world-class health facility christened Saint Davis Hospital, Ada.

Located along Ibokun road in Ada, the hospital was formally declared open with a comprehensive free medical service recently during which no fewer than 3,000 residents benefitted. Specialists, medical consultants and doctors from different areas of specialisations from the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) and the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex (OAUTHC), Ile-Ife, participated fully in the exercise. The free medical outreach was part of the annual medical programme of the Faculty of Clinical Services, OAU, Ile – Ife, Osun State.

The beneficiaries, mostly old women, men, pregnant women and young people, came out en-masse from different locations within and outside Osun State. Notably, over 100 patients also underwent surgeries under the Mount Davis Hospital’s free medical outreach.

The proprietor of Mount Davis Hospital, Mr. Bode Adediji, who is the Group Executive Chairman and Principal Partner of Bode Adediji Partnership, a foremost firm of Estate Surveyors, Valuers and Real Estate Consultants based in Lagos, disclosed that the multi-million Naira hospital is “basically an inspiration from God” saying, “each time I came home to Ada, I came across situations of various types of untimely, undeserved, premature, accidental and mysterious deaths.”

According to him, a pertinent question usually bugged him; “Can something be done to curtail all these incidents? Then, the inspiration for the hospital came as a result of that!” He pointed out that what cannot be argued is the fact that two or three things usually make up an efficient and effective world-class hospital. These, he said, include physical edifice, equipment, and human capital – the medical professionals available. “To God be the Glory”, he said, “We have been able to accomplish all these towards achieving the best diagnosis and treatment of patients.”

Adediji, a past President of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), said that the hospital is not built for the people of Ada and environs alone but it is proposed to be a referral centre whereby people from across the country and beyond would come for consultation and treatment by world-class specialists.

He disclosed further that another objective for the hospital is to become the centre for a medical mission when Nigerian and foreign medical practitioners alike, backed up by foreign and local philanthropists can converge on Ada as a team for medical researches without finance being an impediment.

In this regard, MDH, as time goes on, Adediji disclosed, shall become a centre of medical excellence that will be patronised by Nigerians and people from all over the continent. He said, “It is for this reason that we have designed and constructed a complex having the medical blocks in front and residential blocks at the back to cater for the accommodation of doctors, nurses and other categories of hospital workers.

“Aside from my family, God has been gracious to send various kinds of divine helpers to us at every stage of its conceptualization, design and construction, the equipping and of course, the operational phase of the hospital,” Adediji remarked.

Amos Agboola, a retired medical director from the Ogun State Ministry of Health and a director of MDH, while corroborating Adediji’s remarks said the concept of the hospital is to bring effective and qualitative medical services to the people at subsidised charges. He said the hospital intends to offer comprehensive health services including anti-natal, maternal and child welfare, general medical, surgical, laboratory, radiological and other specialized services.

In his comment, Olatunde Adejumo, Resident Doctor at the MDH, said his vision for the hospital is to ensure that the international standard on the ground is duly maintained and adequately improved upon. He declared that the facilities already on the ground include a top-notch theatre, two labour rooms, one postnatal ward, two surgical wards (male and female) each furnished with 10 beds, a well-equipped laboratory and pharmacy.

Attached to the hospital complex is a two-floor, four-unit (3 bedrooms) resident doctors apartment. Each section/office in the hospital is duly equipped with unique toilet facilities, while another ten toilets are already in place for public/outpatients usage. Adejumo commended the efforts of the founder and proprietor of the hospital, Mr. Adediji, who he describes as “a visionary leader with relentless efforts geared towards the establishment of a world-class hospital”.

Kingsley Akinroye, a former chairman of the Osun State Health Management Board and an Ex-Director of Nigeria Heart Foundation, describes the hospital as “an epitome of community health care and a large investment incorporating excellent infrastructural facilities,” saying, “To God be the glory, everything you see here is God’s endowment from Mr. Bode Adediji and it has started impacting positively on the people”. Professor Adegbehingbe Bernice, Dean of Faculty of Clinical services, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile – Ife and coordinator of the free medical outreach, said that he is highly elated that in spite of the large crowd that turned out for the free medical services, the whole exercise was a huge success.

She was especially grateful to God, the Proprietor, Management and staff of Mount Davis Hospital for their high level of support and cooperation before, during and after the exercise.

During the weeklong medical outreach, services offered includes, laboratory test, blood pressure test, dental checkup and treatment, eye checkup and treatment, free consultation, free surgeries, free drugs, and counselling.

While commending the organiser of the programme, a 66-year-old beneficiary retired civil servant, Mr John Ojo, said he has been waiting for this opportunity and fortunately he was opportune to attend the open medical outreach organized by Mount Davis Hospital. Ojo added that he was able to consult the doctor, who listened to his complaints, educated him on diet modification and gave drugs for free.”

Also speaking, a 39-year-old food vendor, Mrs Bola Olawale said she would forever be thankful to the organiser who she described as philanthropist, praying that God will continue to bless him.”